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Justice Minister to be next mayor of Kraków?

Justice Minister Jarosław Gowin has declared that he would consider standing for election as mayor of Kraków when he leaves government.

Mr Gowin said that he would not ‘actively seek’ nomination from his party, Platforma Obywatelska (PO), but that the high number of votes he received in elections in Małopolska could make him a ‘natural’ candidate. He added that running Kraków would be a huge challenge, because of the state of the city’s finances – but said that he was not afraid to take on the post.

The minister lives in Warsaw, but comes to Kraków most weekends. He said: “This is my favourite city, I have been connected to it for decades. I plan to live here for the rest of my life.”

Ireneusz Raś, head of Małopolska PO, said speculation about the next mayor was less important than the city’s financial problems. For Prawo i Sprawiedliwość (PiS), the opposition party, Andrzej Duda is among the favourites to stand for election.

This is my favorite city, I related to it for decades. I plan to live here for the rest of your life. I intend to grow Krakow